"It is right that we keep a focus on energy costs, and it is very good news to see that we can capture the benefits of wind energy without having to pay extra for them. And as fossil fuel prices increase the economic benefits become more significant."

The report found that although wind generators have high capital costs, they have no short-term costs as they do not consume fuel.

"Renewable energy can play an important part in the energy mix but it is important to continuously look at the effect on prices of all sources of energy, in the interest of consumers. This report is a significant contribution to that." Alison Brown